|
SRS Insights is now On the Go - Click to play Digital Audio version.
 |
When Bad Job Interviews Happen to Good Candidates
We’ve all been there. Cringe-worthy moments during job interviews that we try to block from our memories in order to protect our super-ego from permanent damage. From executives to middle managers to first time employees, every level of job seeker is subject to Murphy’s Law: whatever CAN happen in an interview, MAY happen in an interview.
Moments of Mortification
Even if you know everything there is to know about a potential employer, have been coached by an executive recruiter, and are pretty adept at rolling with the punches in pressure-filled situations, sometimes you just aren’t able to avoid a random “knockout blow” delivered by the chaotic, unsympathetic universe. Despite of our intense human urge to coil up in a tight ball and wait for the humiliation to pass, it’s usually the rush of adrenaline that keeps us upright. Mostly, that’s a good thing. But sometimes, hindsight shows we should’ve thrown in the towel after the first round.
Case in point: one of our talent partners, David Blazier, relayed a story about an awkward incident during a final interview for an executive position with a major non-profit. When telling this story, he noticeably cringed at least 3 times.
“Half a block from the front door of a swanky building where I was about to pitch myself to the entire board of directors of a non-profit, the right sole of my favorite Italian leather shoes got caught on a jagged piece of concrete and was almost completely torn away from the bottom of the shoe. Only a few stitches around the heel kept the sole attached, making the detached sole “flop” with every step on the pavement.
There was no time to fix it so my best option seemed to be to partly drag, partly slide my foot. This method of walking became utterly comical once I entered the building and began walking across a freshly buffed marble floor, which amplified the SLAP of the sole with each step. Panic set in as I realized I’d have to walk up 3 flights of stairs to the conference room to meet everyone. The panic intensified because climbing the marble stairs while trying to disguise a floppy sole turned into an epic cardio workout. I limped into the conference room sweating profusely, then proceeded to trudge around the room shaking hands and trading introductions, all while gasping to catch my breath. I had almost made it fully around when a sudden cramp sprung in my exhausted leg mid-stride. At that same moment, the errant sole buckled underfoot, sending my sweaty self into a free-fall toward the conference table. On my way down, my instincts took control and forced my hand to find something to help lessen the fall. Unfortunately, my hand found the ample breast of the Executive Director.
I’ve conveniently blocked out most of what happened next, but the Human Resources director later told me that I thoroughly apologized, hobbled off down the stairs, and exited the building shoe-less.”
It’s no surprise David didn’t land that position. In fact, he took a break from interviewing for several weeks in order to recuperate from the traumatic event and get some professional coaching.
But not all job interviews involving shoe mishaps result in such comical defeet (sic); some end rather heroically. Kathy C., a recent Registered Nurse graduate, recalls her final interview with a large hospital group:
“The interview was part of a business casual meet-and-greet, and I was decked out in a long dress and uncomfortably tight heels. I was standing at a bar table draped with a extraordinary long tablecloth chatting with my interviewers. All of a sudden, I lost my footing a bit, tripped a young lady who was walking by, and we both tumbled hard to the marble floor! Unfortunately, the poor woman I tripped took the brunt of the fall right onto her arm. Without thinking, I jumped up (now with only one high heel on) and ripped the tablecloth off the bar table, sending little plates of food and wine glasses flying everywhere, and quickly transformed the tablecloth into a makeshift sling for her arm. I can’t remember if I said anything to the interviewers as my unintentional victim and I hobbled out of the room, but I’m pretty sure they knew the interview was over at that point.”
Instead of considering Kathy’s interview a disaster, the hospital admins viewed it as a testament to her quick thinking and instinctual reaction to care for a patient. Kathy got the job.
Stay Calm. Don’t Choke. They May Not Notice…
Making genuine, knuckle-headed mistakes is usually mortifying to the person making them. But to everyone else involved, a breach of common sense or a comical mishap can often be brushed off, allowing job interviews to continue.
Take Paul P., a junior bank executive from rural Louisiana, who interviewed with a major bank at an upscale restaurant. Being a country boy from the heart of Cajun country, Paul ordered the fish. Unbeknownst to Paul, the fish was not filleted…rather it was served whole, tiny bones included. Not knowing the polite way to dispose of the bones, nor having the comfort level to ask for guidance in eating around the bones, Paul ate the fish, bones included. Unsurprisingly, the he started choking after a few bites. Paul was able to cough up the tiny offending bones, started laughing, and woefully admitted he’d never eaten a whole fish before. A few laughs later, Paul had a new job and his bosses had a funny story to tell.
Daryl T. brought a fresh, piping hot pizza to a lunchtime interview at a retail outlet that specialized in equipment for sightless people. As he walked into the darkened interview room, the pizza box blocked his view of the owner’s service dog laying on the floor. Daryl promptly stumbled over the dog, fumbled the pizza, almost regained control, but watched helplessly as the steaming hot pizza tumbled upright onto the center of the table. Without skipping a beat, the blind business owner remarked, “Damn, I didn’t see THAT coming!” Daryl still works at the company, although no one is allowed to bring food in the conference room anymore.
Interviewers Build Up Immunity to Mortifying Moments
In researching this article, I spoke with an assortment of Human Resource professionals, Hiring Managers, C-Level Executives, and Business Owners. It is safe to assume that most experienced interviewers have witnessed enough bone-headed ridiculousness from people that most innocent, non-offensive blunders are immediately forgiven and forgotten. In collecting personal anecdotes for this article, I was given some amazing gems from hiring managers and human resource staffers that stand as proof that not much phases an experienced interviewer.
“Driving to meet a candidate for an interview, I witnessed a car weaving dangerously in and out of lanes, cut me off, flip me the bird, and then cut off another vehicle to get ahead of the pack. I caught up with him at the next red light where I saw him mindlessly yelling at the car in front. Five minutes later, he was sitting across the table from me like nothing happened. We passed on this particular candidate.” – Scott P., Communications Executive
“While interviewing a foreign gentleman for a sales position, I asked (in a southern twang) if he’d like “selling grills”. He sat back, thought for a second, and replied, “Southern girls…hmmm…southern girls don’t like me very much. I think they are intimidated by me.” – Paul C., Business Development Manager
“I once interviewed a nice-looking elderly lady for a bank teller position. About 30 seconds into the interview, she told me how relieved she was that getting fired from [a large fast food company] for stealing from the register…back when she was on drugs…hadn’t disqualified her from this opportunity. I had no words.” – J.B., Bank Administrator
And, my all time favorite:
“While filling in for the employment interviewer at the hospital where I worked, I interviewed a guy that claimed he really needed the job because he owed the hospital money. He then took off his shirt and showed me a fairly fresh bullet wound. Dumbfounded, I asked what happened and was treated to the story of how he was patched up in our ER two weeks prior after getting shot by a neighbor for stealing their drugs.” – Byron N., Business Owner and Human Resources Professional
The Moral Of The Story
No one is exempt from Murphy’s Law: sometimes bad job interviews just happen to good people. So next time you slip into an awkward interview situation, take a deep breath and relax. You’ll probably get through it just fine. Heck…you and the interviewer may even share a laugh at your faux pas. But if it’s a blunder of epic proportions, it may be best to slink away gracefully, immediately record every embarrassing detail, and then post those details in the comments section below so everyone can enjoy!
[su_note note_color=”#f4f4f4″ text_color=”#1b1b1b”]SRS is an executive recruiting firm specializing in pairing top legal talent. with progressive companies throughout the Gulf Region. We have offices staffed with professional headhunters in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. We can help you better prepare for job interviews and reduce the chance of creating a cringe-worthy moment![/su_note]